Lumberjacks Restaurant
Coffee
Jumbo Biscuit with Honey
Griddle Sampler – Flapjacks, French Toast, Banana Bread French Toast, Sunny Side Up Eggs, Applewood Smoked Bacon
Deep Fried Apple Bread Pudding with Bourbon Cream Sauce and Caramel
Located on Craig Road in North Las Vegas, and part of a small chain featuring the slogan “Where the Big Boys Eat,” it was largely on a whim that I decided to visit Lumberjacks Restaurant en route to an early showing of The Avengers at Galaxy Theaters and although the bloated movie was more than a little disappointing the breakfast served amidst log cabin décor was far better than rumors or reviews would have it, even if portions didn’t really seem all that large to someone sporting a pretty good appetite despite his deceiving frame.
Cleverly themed, but far less ‘branded’ than Hash House a Go Go or Black Bear Diner…or any restaurant under the Daniel Boulud banner, to be fair…guests arriving at Lumberjacks are greeted by the large statue of a hirsuit woodsman out front and upon entering by ‘yes sir/yes ma’am’ service plus a large case of cakes and pies, an “ultimate burger bar” with tables flanking it on both sides before an open kitchen to their rear.
Offering options of breakfast, lunch, and dinner with almost the entire menu available throughout regular business hours, it was with little hesitation that I flipped directly to the section labeled griddles and after a few questions about what was featured in the pastry case my order essentially wrote itself, a request to have items sent out as they were ready resulting in two courses served over the course of forty-five minutes during which only inaccessible “free” WiFi and having to repeatedly request coffee refills marred an otherwise pleasant stay.
Homey in design, with tables and chairs set peripherally as banquets and booths lined the middle of the room, it was in a sort of alcove that I sat and within only ten minutes of ordering I was in the midst of sugaring my second cup of coffee when my dessert-as-appetizer arrived, the plate described as “deep fried bread pudding” proving to be a sort of devilish mashup somewhere between traditional custard soaked brioche and an apple fritter with a crispy golden exterior gilded by glistening caramel plus a sidecar of custard lightly tinged with booze.
Almost certain that neither my entrée nor a housemade biscuit would trump the bread pudding in decadence, quality, or inspiration it was nonetheless to a large plate of proteins and carbs that I was treated next and although my assumptions would indeed be born out as none but the nutty banana bread with a gently seared exterior was particularly memorable it wasn’t as though any of the options was particularly ‘bad,’ just standard run-of-the-mill breakfast fare served at a good price with both flapjacks and French Toast happy to sop up pure maple syrup ported from home while the large biscuit was piping hot and flaky with ample notes of buttermilk beneath whipped butter and honey, both.
THREE STARS: Setting aside the out-of-the-way location and service that was far less attentive than would be expected from a restaurant less than a quarter full, Lumberjacks Restaurant is comparable to spots like The Cracked Egg, Egg Works, Mr. Mama’s, Jamms’, and several others in terms of price, quality, and portions – the deep fried bread pudding amongst the very finest examples in The Valley, and something I’d suggest justifying the thirty minute trip North.
RECOMMENDED: Deep Fried Apple Bread Pudding, Banana Bread French Toast.
AVOID: For those fancying a thicker, fluffier pancake a trip elsewhere would be advised as those at Lumberjacks are truly ‘Flapjacks” in nature, the batter thin and the crumb a bit more densw than some might prefer.
TIP: Open at 7am Seven Days a week, those looking at ‘dinner for breakfast’ would be advised to call in advance as certain items are only available after 11a, while breakfast options are served from open to close.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor
